Apparatus for separating solids from liquids



c. L. HOOKER, JR., EI'AL 2,378,632

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS June 19, 1945.

Filed July 27, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l c. L HOOKER, JR., ETAL 2,378,632

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS June 19, 1945.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 27, 1942 v i a/ June '19, 1945. c. L. HOOKER, JR., ETAL 2,373,632

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS Filed July 27, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet 3 J6 K k Z3, 11 1 u YWAIAJ C'bf/Ps L Foo/far; Jr: I v Jackson 14 fifo/qq;

Patented June 19, 1945 hi i hl'wflis 'Fbit- SEPARA'HNGSOLIDS FHOM LIQUIDS v Chgrlestli} and Jackson STtaJey,

- A rewter, 1%.; said steley assigiior' t6 said f Ap'bliatio'ii JfiI-y27,194 2,SrialNm452550 Y SClaims (01. 210-57) This inver'lti'on rel'a't'es to theseper'aitioh item a liquid of particles 6: s'oficf rhattef sfispended therein. p j

The primary Qbjedt' of the irwhti'dri fstd fifd' vide simple and efficient means fcir' efictihgsuh a, separation solelyflltfy the centrifugal lctibri' of a whirling column of the liquid inixtttre', and with:

W'i11 later appear, the inveritioh etifisi'sts in the ertiemerlyfirst to" Fig; '1', we have therein i11u s= respectively wilth said'cbmpalrtments;

- cdnduit s and alldwef cdniei portieh 1.: The

same"- tenement erased. I

opemngthreugh thepartitiori 2, and thus coinmu iieezt'me w th the outlet compartment; is e fiert'i dal tube l0; the lowef eri-d of which eXteIids down into the cylingiridal portien 6 of the mix-- diii-t 01" sepli'a-ti r'igl chempe'r; "The tube ['0' is dis ptsea ee 'teht iceuy with the c'dnduit s air'igi is" er sfilal l erdi'amterisd that ttmlhle'f space is pji o Vided bfiw'fi the saline. Ldcg fed Within this arinulaf space are a; series or radial curved Blades or vanes ll of such shape as to imparb a. whirlifig motidri' to liquid pEssifig' ddwl'lwalldly thibflgh the same:

The liquid mixture to be separated is fed under pressure 150 the ihlet cohnectidn- 3 and. flows thence dbwriwardly' through the annufarf space of the casing is a tube sheet I3, thus forming inlet and outlet compartments communicating with the inlet and outlet connections respectively.

Set into the tube sheet I3, with their ends opening therethrough, are a plurality of tubes I0, communicating with the outlet compartment, These tubes extend vertically downward through openings I4 in a supporting sheet l4 extending horizontally across the casing. Depending from this supporting sheet are a plurality of separating chambers or conduits !5, shown as of frustoconical shape. Each tube I projects down into the upper nd of one of these conduits I5 and, being smaller in diameter, i spaced radially from the conduit, thus forming between itself and the conduit an annular passage. Disposed within this passage is an annular series of curved blades or vanes I I, similar to those previously described, such blades or vanes serving to impart a whirling motion to liquid flowing down through the annular passageway. It will be understood that the openings in the sheet l4 through which the tubes I 0 extend are substantially larger than the tubes, so that an annular passageway is provided around each tube for the flow of liquid. Clean out openings, closed by plugs it, are preferably provided in the casing cover placed immediately above each of the tubes In.

It will be noted that the sloping or diagonal tube sheet I3 which extends across the casing forms an inlet compartment which progressively decreases in size as th distance from the inlet increases. Thiscompensates for the loss in pressure as the liquid enters the upper ends of the conduits I5 and assures that the pressure applied to the mouths of all of these conduits is equalized.

In practice, it frequently happens that the pressure under which the liquid mixtures to be separated are fed into th inlet opening, espe cially if supplied over a long pipe line, varies widely, due to surging, or other causes. As the velocity with which such mixtures flow through the vanes into the separating chamber is a function of the pressure existing in the casing, and as it is desirable to employ a velocity which varies as little as possible, in order to secure a uniform separating operation, it is important to maintain the pressure in the casingsubstantially constant. Means for accomplishing this are illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

These figures show an assembly of a plurality of separating units very similar to" that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, but, in addition to the tube sheet I3 and tubes III, we provide a second tube sheet 2 I, spaced from the first, and disposed at a different angle. Thus the casing I 2 is divided into an inlet compartment communicating with the inlet connection I1, and two outlet compartments, both communicating with the outlet connection, but each communicating separately with a different part thereof. Thus the upper outlet compartment, into which the tubes I0 open, communicates with a constantly open portion I8 of the outlet, while the other outlet compartment communicates with a portion I9 of the outlet the flow through which is controlled by suitable valve means, shown as consisting of a series of shutters or dampers 20.

A second set of outlet tubes 22 open through the tube sheet 2|, into the outlet compartment which communicates with the damper controlled portion of the outlet, and each of these tubes surrounds and is spaced from the corresponding one of the tubes I0. Each pair of tubes projects concentrically into one of the separating chambers or conduits I5, and a vane structure 23, similar to the vanes II previously described, and for the same purpose, is mounted in the annular space between each tube 22 and the corresponding conduit I5.

Thus, liquid entering the apparatus will flow out partially through tubes I0 and the portion I8 of the outlet, and partially through the tubes 22 and the portion I9 of the outlet.

It is obvious that the pressure which exists, at

any moment, within the casing depends, within limits, on the ratio between the areas of the inlet and outlet openings. Thus, if the outlet should be completely closed, the pressure within all parts of the casing would be equal to that existing at the inlet. If, on the other hand, an outlet passage is provided having an area fully equal to that of the inlet, the presure within the casing would be small, and only sufficient to overcome the frictional resistance to flow. By opening or closing the dampers 20, the ratio between the eff ctive areas of the inlet and outlet openings is altered, and the pressure within the casing varied accordingly. These dampers may be adjusted by hand, so as to give any desired pressure, or they may be moved automatically, so as to maintain the pressure substantially constant. For the latter purpose, any desired and well known pressureresponsive regulating means, such as a Sylphon bellows 24, operated by the pressure of liquid within the casing, and connected with th dampers, as by means of a lever 25 and link 26, may be employed. If the pressure tends to fall, the regulating device would move the dampers toward closed position, thus causing the pressure within the casing to build up, and vice versa,

What we claim is:

1. Means for separating solids from liquid mixtures containing the same, said means comprising a casing, a partition extending diagonally across the casing and dividing the same into a lower inlet compartment and an outlet compartment, a conduit communicating with and depending from the lower portion of said inlet compartment, a tube communicating with said outlet compartment depending from said partition and projecting into said conduit, said tube being disposed concentrically with said conduit, and means within the annular space between said tube and conduit for imparting a whirling motion to liquid mixtures flowing down through said space from said inlet compartment into said conduit, whereby solid particles contained in said liquid mixtures are thrown outwardly toward the walls of said conduit.

2. Means for separating solids from liquid mixtures containing the same, said means comprising a casing, aligned inlet and outlet ports disposed in opposite side wall portions of the casing, a partition extending diagonally of the casing from a point above the inlet port to a pointbelow the outlet port'and dividing said casing into a lower inlet compartment and an upper outlet compartment, a conduit depending from said inlet compartment, a tube depending from said partition and projecting into said conduit, said tube being disposed concentrically with said conduit, whereby liquid entering said inlet compartment is caused to flow first downwardly through the annular space between said tube and conduit, and thence upwardlythrough said tube to said outlet compartment, and means for imparting a whirling motion to the liquid passing down through said annular space, whereby any solid particles carried by said liquid are thrown outwardly toward the walls of said conduit.

3. Apparatus for separating solids from liquid mixtures containing the same, said apparatus comprisinga casing, a tube sheet extending diagonally across said casing and dividing the same into inlet and outlet compartments, said compartments having inlet and outlet openings, respec tively, a series of tubes having their upper ends set into said tube sheet and communicating with said outlet compartment, said tubes depending from said sheet and being of a length which decreases progressively as theirdistance from said inlet opening increases, a series of conduits each embracing the lower end of one of'said tubes and spaced therefrom, said conduits extending below said tubes and communicating withsai'd inlet compartment, and means for imparting a whirling motion to the liquid entering the upper ends of said conduits from said inlet compartment.

4. Apparatus for separating solids from liquid mixtures containing the same, said apparatus comprising acasing, a tube sheet extending diagonally across said casing and dividing the same into inlet and outlet compartments, said compart ments having inlet and outlet openings, respectively, said inlet compartment decreasing in size in a direction away from said inlet opening, a

series of vertical tubes supported by the tube sheet.

and communicating at their upper ends with said outlet compartment, a series of conduits, each embracing the lower end of one of said tubes and extending below the same, said conduits being spaced radially from said tubes and communicating at their upper ends with the lower portion of said inlet compartment, means for supplying a liquid mixture under pressure into said inlet opening, and means for imparting a whirling motion to the liquid mixture passing down into the upper ends of said conduits.

5. Apparatus for separating solids from liquid mixtures containing the same comprising a casing having opposite inlet and outlet connections and provided with two spaced partitions extending from above the inlet downwardly diagonally across the casing and dividing the same into a lower inlet compartment and an upper pair of outlet compartments, at least one separating device including a separating chamber communicating with said inlet compartment and a pair of outlet tubes extending from said separating chamber upwardly through the inlet compartment, one into each of said outlet compartments, respec tively, a part of said outlet connection communicatingwith one of said outlet compartments and being constantly open, and the remaining part of said outlet connection communicating with the other of said outlet compartments, and means for controlling the flow of liquid through the last mentioned part of said outlet connection.

6. A centrifugal separator comprising a casing, a lowerinlet compartment and an upper outlet compartment in the casing, a downwardly inclined partition extending across the casing and forming the upper wall of the inlet compartment, a side inlet opening in the casing facing the partition and opening into the inlet compartment, a separating chamber depending from the casing,

an outlet tube'opening into the outlet compartment depending from the inclined partition and extending downwardly through the inlet compartment into the upper section of the separating chamber to form therein an annular passage providing communication between the inlet compartment and the section of the separating chamber below the lower end of the outlet tube, and means I compartment in the casing above the partition, .a plurality of vertical cylindrical separating chambers below the casing arranged one after another at different horizontal distances from the I inlet opening and communicating with portions of the inlet compartment of different cross-section, an outlet compartment in the casing above the inclined partition, outlet tubes communicating with the outlet compartment extending downwardly through the inlet compartment and into the upper sections of the respective separating chambers to form therein annular passages, and means in said respective annular passages for imparting whirling motion to fluid being delivered to the respective separating chambers.

CHARLES L. HOOKER, JR. JACKSON W. STALEY. 

